Page 24 of Whimsical Ink
I nod at Emma, who lifts her head in acknowledgment. She throws the ball, and I round the wicket and drag Maddy out of the way, bat and all, and swing her into my arms.
“Hey!” she yells and watches as the ball hits the wicket and topples to the sand.
“I think that means you’re out.” I pout at her, and she pushes her hand in my face, but she’s smiling.
Laughing, I rearrange her so her legs wrap around my waist, and my hands support her ass. She drops the bat behind her.
“That wasn’t very original,” she says, tilting my hat back slightly.
“But it means I won.”
“So it does.” Her arms wrap around my neck and she lifts herself closer to me. “I owe you a kiss.”
My heart beats faster, and my arms feel weak holding her. “Oh, do you?”
She thrusts her hat off. “Shut up.”
And she kisses me.
Her lips latch onto mine, warm and soft, and I stagger from the force of her. From the force of her affection and warmth and scent of the ocean and sunscreen with a hint of vanilla clinging to her. From her happiness and the brush of her tongue on my bottom lip.
Her hands knock my hat off and she thrusts them through my hair, gripping the sweaty strands, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
Just hauls herself closer and sucks my bottom lip into her mouth. I pant and run a hand down her bare back, tucking a hand under the fabric and brush the curve of her breast.
She’s my home.
I’ve known it for years. Dreamed of kissing her and taking her back to my house. Dreamed of making her birthday fun again and bringing her to this beach and seeing her mix with my childhood traditions.
I pull away slightly and see her dazed expression. “Maddy I?—”
She surges forward and kisses me again. Drags a hand to my chest and brushes our tongues together.
“Maddy,” I pant. “Maddy, I?—”
“We’re on a public beach. As much as I love public displays of affection from my brother, I don’t think this is necessary.” Emma gags and walks towards the dunes where the bags are.
Mum and Dad are already there, reading books and ignoring us, gear already packed away. As if it didn’t happen. As if my whole life hasn’t changed.
I lower Maddy to the sand and fix her hat. Her hands smooth my hair and right my hat, tucking stray pieces away from my eyes.
Her eyes are glazed, but she has a faint smile on her lips and brushes her hands over my shoulders. Squeezing gently, she drags her palms down my arms and grasps my hands.
“Want to go for a swim?” she asks, turning us towards the waves and running a finger over my thumb.
“Yeah. Yeah, I do.”
And I follow her into the waves and kiss her again.
6
MADDY
December 24th:The bedroom.
“Good night.” My arm wraps around Daniel’s waist, and we walk upstairs together.
His arm is heavy, wrapped around me, clutching me close and attempting to guide me down the hall. We lean on each other to avoid crashing into the walls and make it to our room.